Speed synchronization of intermittently-operated machines



Feb. 23, 1932. M. MORGAN 1,846,894

Filed July 5; 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l Inu'entoR m ma morgan by %%M%Attonnay Feb. 23, 1932. M. MORGAN 1,846,894

SPEED SYNCHRONIZATION OF INTERMITTE'NTLY OPERATED MACHINES Filed July 5.1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor: mglas morqa'n Att oRTzeg Patented Feb.23, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MYLES MORGAN, OF WORCESTER,MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO MORGAI mISTRUC- TION COMPANY, OF WORCESTER,MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSA- CHUSETTS SPEED SYNCHRONIZATIO'NOF INTERMITTENTLY-OPERATED MACHINES Application filed July 5, 1929.Serial No. 376,259.

I he present invention, broadly considered, resldes in a novel methodand apparatus by which to put into action, from a condition of idlenessor stoppage, any machine or the like whose working occurs intermittentlyor at intervals, and whose drive, for the entire duration of any workingperiod, must be substantially synchronized with some other means ormechanism in practically continuous operation,for example, a means usedto secure delivery of stock or material to such intermittently-workedmachine or machines.

A particular application of the invention, which is herein. shown forillustrative purposes is in the driving of reels of the revolving orso-called pouring type, which are used for the coiling of hot metalrods, or other similiar elongated products delivered at high spee It isnecessary, becomes filled, to

as soon as one of these reels switch the delivery of the stock toanother adjacent reel, in order to take care of the substantiallycontinuous delivery of said stock by the mill. This mode of operationrequires the unfilled reel, in advance of any diversion of the stockthereto, to be started up from a non-revolving condition and acceleratedto a-speed which corresponds to the high delivery speed of the stock;only in this way can the reeling be properly started, and only bymaintaining a close synchronization between reel speed and stockdelivery speed throughout the coiling operation, can a satisfactory coilbe made.

The present invention insures the establishment and maintenance of suchsynchronization, by an arrangement of apparatus which permits theselected reel or other machine, in advance of its actual working, to bestarted independently, and accelerated until it is running insynchronism with the constantly-operated driving means which. in thecase of reels, procures the delivery of the stock to be coiled thereon;thereafter, for the entire duration of the working period of the drivenmachine, such synchronism is maintained, as by automatically shiftingthe drive of said machine so started and accelerated to saidconstantly-operated driving means, so that, in the case for example of areel, the coiling operaof my invention, and showing its application to aplurality of revoluble reels in operative relation to the finishing endof a rod mill, in conjunctionwith the accelerating and synchronizingdevices for one of said reels.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of the actelerating and synchronizingapparatus of Fig. 1, and showing the condition of the parts when a reelis being accelerated.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view similar to Fig. 2, and illustratinganother condition of the parts, which is automatically established whenthe reel has been accelerated up to a speed corresponding to thestock-delivery speed.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures.

Referring first to Fig. 1, the finishing rolls of a rod mill areindicated at 1, the rolls being driven from a shaft 2 here shown ashaving a gear connection 3 with a driving motor or other prime mover 4.From the rolls 1, the elongated material 5, in the form of rods, bars orthe like, passes to a suitable switch indicated diagrammatically at 6,which is selectively operable to direct the moving material throughsuitable reel delivery pipes 7, 7 to any one of a plurality of revolublereels 8, 8, here shown as two in number. Each reel 8 is here shown as ofthe usual pouring type, with a rotatable table 9 which provides twoseries of concentric pins 10 and 11 between which the moving stock 5 isdelivered from the pipe 7. Each reel table 9 is driven from a shaft 12through suitable gearing 13.

According to my invention, the drive of shaft '12, when the material 5is being coiled on the reel, is taken from the roll shaft 2, so as tomaintain the reel speed in synchronism with the stock delivery speed,and to this end I have shown in alinement with the shaft 12 aconstantly-rotating drive shaft 14 which is connected by means ofcountershafts 15, 15 and gearing 16, 16 with the shaft 2,the gearing 13,16, 16 being so proportioned that when the alined shafts 12 and 14 areclutched together, as hereinafter described, the surface speed of reeltable 9, between the pins 10 and 11, will correspond to the deliveryspeed of the stock 5.

Said stock delivery speed is so high, that it manifestly would beimpractical, with a reel 8 at rest (following its stoppage for theremoval of a coil therefrom) to clutch together the two alined shafts 12and 14, the one stationary and the other rotating at high speed.Accordingly, to meet the requirement that each reel 8, in advance of anypassage of the stock thereto, must be started up from rest andaccelerated to the delivery speed of said stock, this inventioncontemplates an improved method and arrangement of apparatus whereby, atthe will of an operator, any reel 8 may be started up and accelerated bymeans of an independent prime mover, until its shaft 12 reaches thespeed of the rotating shaft 14, and then when the shafts 12 and 14 arein exact synchronism, a magnetic'clutch 17 operates automatically toconnect said shafts 12 and 14, so that the coiling of material on saidreel can be inaugurated.

For thus starting and accelerating each reel, independently of itsmill-driven shaft 14, a separate prime mover 18, preferably in the formof an electric. motor of the direct current type is provided; said motor18 has, as here shown, azfield winding 19 connected in shunt acrosssupply mains 20 adapted to be energized from a suitable source 21 ofelectrical energy, through the closing of a knife switch 22. Anadjustable rheostat 23 of the usual type is connected in the circuit ofthe field 19 whereby the speed of the motor 18 may be varied, for apurpose to be hereinafter described. The shaft of the acceleratingInotor 18 is connected by gearing 24 to the reel shaft 12 so that whenthe motor 18 is connected to the source 21, the reel will be acceleratedfrom rest and brought up to a speed determined by the operating speed ofthe motor 18 for a given setting of its field rheostat 23.

One terminal of the armature 25 of the motor 18 is connected in parallelto the separate stationary contacts 26a and 27 of a control switch Aproviding a handle 28 shown in the 0d position in Fig. 1. The otherterminal of the motor armature 25 is connected in parallel to a thirdswitch contact 26 and to one of a pair of spaced contacts 29 of a relayB which provides a pivoted armature 3O carrying a contact arm 31 whichnormally bridges the gap between the contacts 29. The other Contact 29is connected to a stationary contact 32 forming part ofthe switch A,and,

when the switch arm 28 is thrown fromthe off position of Fig. 1 to theon position of Fig. 2, contact plates 33 and 34 carried by the switcharm 28 are adapted to connect the contacts 27 and 32, respectively, tothe supply mains 20, thereby causing current to be sup plied to thearmature 25 of the motor 18, as indicated by the heavy circuit lines andarrows in Fig. 2. When this occurs, the motor 18 starts, and with it,through gearing 24, the associated reel 8, and as said motor picks upspeed, the reel shaft 12 accelerates, until it finally attains a speedequal to or slightly above that of the shaft 14, whereupon, ashereinafter described, the clutch 17 is automatically thrown in toestablish a driving connection between shafts 12 and 14, and todisconnect the reel accelerating motor 18 from the supply mains 20.

For purposes of illustration, the clutch 17 which is interposed betweenthe reel shaft 12 and the mill driven shaft 14, is shown as providing awinding 35 carried by one clutch element which when energized is adaptedto attract the other clutch element and establish a driving'connectionbetween the shafts 12 and 14. Current is adapted to'be supplied to thewinding '35 through slip rings 36, one of which is connected to acontact37 adapted to be engaged by the segment 34 of the switc arm 28when the latter is moved to the on position to connect one slip ring 36to the positive side of the source 21. The other. slip ring 36 isconnected to one of a pair of spaced contacts 38 forming part of therelay B, the contacts 38 being separated when the relay contact arm 31is in engagement with the contacts 29 controlling the circuit to thereel motor 18. The other relay contact 38 is connectcd to a stationarycontact 39 of the control switch that is engaged by the switch segment33 when the arm 28 is in the on position so as to connect the relaycontact 38 to the minus side of the source 21. Therefore, when the motor18 is operating through the circuit shown in Fig. 2, the circuit of themagnetic clutch winding 35 is open at the gap between the contacts38 ofthe relay B, the functioning of which to cause automatic operation ofthe clutch 17 will next be described.

The armature 30 of the relay B projects equally on opposite sides of itspivot 30a and these portions of the armature 30 are under the influenceof coils 40 and 41 symmetrically disposed with respect to the pivot 30a.The terminals'of the right hand coil 40 are connected to the terminalsof what is commonly known as a tachometer generator 42, the shaft ofwhich is connected to the mill driven shaft 14 through gearing 43. Theother coil 41 of the relay B is connected to the terminals of a secondtachometer generator 44, the shaft of which is connected to the reelshaft 12 through gearing 45 having exactly the same ratio as the gearing43 of generator 42. The

tachometer generators 42 and 44 are exact duplicates, both electricallyand mechanically, and the field windings 42a and 44a of these generatorsare connected in seriesacross a constant voltage source represented bythe mains 46. Consequently, when the reel shaft 12 and the mill shaft 14are separately driven, the generators 44 and 42 will energize the relaycoils 41 and 40, respectively, in direct proportion to the speeds of theshafts 12 and 14, and should the shaft 12 be driven at the same speed asthe shaft 14, it necessarily follows that the relay coil 41 will haveexactly the same excitation as the coil 40. It is also apparent thatshould the shaft 14 be driven from the mill motor 4 when the motor 18 isnot driving the shaft 12, the separate excitation of the relay coil 40by the generator 42 will hold the armature 30 of the relay B in theposition shown in Fig. 1, in which position the relay contact arm 31bridges the gap between the spaced stationary contacts 29 in the circuitof the motor 18. This is the normal position of the armature 30 of relaywhen the reel 8 under consideration is out of operation and the mill isdelivering stock to another reel.

As previously pointed out, when the arm 28 of the control switch-A is inthe off position, as shown in Fig. 1, there is a break in the circuit ofthe motor 18 between the switch contact 32 and the positive supply mainand there also is a break in the energizing circuit of the clutch 17between one of the contacts 38 of the relay B which is connected to theswitch contact 39 and the negative supply main 20. Therefore, with thehandle 28 in the off position neither the motor 18 nor the clutch 17 canbe energized. In the off position of the switch A however, the terminalsof the motor armature areconnected across a resistance 47 by theengagement of the switch contact segments 33 and 34 with stationarycontacts 48 and 49 between which the resistance 47 is connected and withcontacts 26 and 26a connected to the armature 25. In other words, withthe switch arm 28 in the off position the armature of the motor 18 isconnected directly across a resistance, so that any rotation of theshaft of motor 18 by reason of its connection with the reel shaft 12will result in a regenerative braking effect, the purpose of which willbe hereinafter described.

The control switch A is preferably located at a point adjacent to thereels 8, as in an operators pulpit indicated diagrammatically by the dotand dash lines in Fig. 1, and there is also mounted in the operatorspulpit the adjustable rheostat 23 for the field 19 of the reel motor 18.The various settings of this rheostat 23 to obtain different speeds ofthe motor 18 are so calibrated that the op erator is able to determinefor a given setting of the rheostat at just what speed the determine thespeed at which the reel motor 18 should be driven in order to acceleratethe reel table shaft 12 to the speed at which the shaft 14 will bedriven for a given speed of the mill motor 4.

Inorder to coil a rod on a given reel, the operator first observes thespeed at which the mill motor 4 is operating and then sets the rheostat23 of the motor 18 of the reel selected for forming the next coil togive the proper reel'motor speed. The operator then throws the handle 28of the switch A to the on position, as indicated in Fig. 2, whereuponthe circuit of the motor 18 is completed as indicated by the heavycircuit lines and arrows. The motor 18 thereupon accelerates the reelshaft 12 and when the speed of the shaft 12 attains a speed equal to orslightly more than that of the shaft 14 then being driven from the millmotor 4, the excitations of the relay coils 40 and 41 by the tachometergenerators 42 and 44 have practically the same value. When thiscondition is attained, the armature of the relay B is subjected to asufficient pull on the left hand side of its pivot 30a to cause thearmature to assume a reverse position from that shown in Fig. 2, asshown in Fig. 3, thereby causing the contact arm 31 to leave thecontacts 29- and to bridge the gap between the contacts 38. When thisoccurs, the motor- 18 is dis connected from the supply mains 20, whilethe circuit of the winding of the magnetic clutch 17 is completed, asindicated by the heavy circuit lines and arrows in Fig. 3. As a result,the reel shaft 12 nows'becomes clutched to the driving shaft 14, and isdriven from the mill motor 4, thereby. insuring that the surface speedof the reel table 9 between the pins 10 and 11 will exactly correspondto the delivery speed of the stock when the operator directs the nextlength of material to the selected reel by means of the switch 6. Thisautomatic. synchronization of a selected reel leaves the operator freeto observe the actual formation or removal of a coil on another reel,and his entire attention can be concentrated upon operation of the rodswitch 6 at the proper time, with absolute assurance that the, selectedreel has already been accelerated to the proper coiling speed, and isbeing driven in when the material arrives at the reel.

When the coiling of a given length of the material on the selected reelis completed, the operator throws the control switch arm 28 for thisparticular reel to the off position. In the meantime, before the coilingsynchronism with the mill on the above described reel is completed, he

operations as described above with respect to another similarly-equippedand driven reel 8, to start and speed up the latter, in readi- "ness fordiversion to it of the closely-following next length of materialdelivered by the mill. I

When its control handle 28 is thrown to the off position, as shown inFig. 1, the first reel table 8 with the complete coil thereon is quicklybrought to rest by the regenerative braking effect which results fromthe connections thereupon established. As previously pointed out, movingthe arm 28 to the off position disconnects the winding 35 of themagnetic clutch from the supply mains thereby breaking the couplingbetween the reel shaft 12 and the mill driven shaft 14, and at the sametime connecting the resistance 47 directly across the terminals of thearmature of the reel motor 18. Consequently, continued rotation of thisfilled reel 8 causes its motor 18 to act as a generator, and since theresistance 47 is connected directly across the armature 25, a brakingeifect will he applied to the shaft 12 which will bring the reel table 8quickly to rest. The completed coil may then be removed from the reel byany suitable means, leaving the reel in readiness for forming anothercoil when its control handle 28 is again moved to the on position.

I claim:

1. In apparatus of the class described, a revoluble reel for the coilingof stock as delivered by a rolling mill or the like, a motor independentof the drive of said mill, for starting said reel, preparatory to acoiling operation thereon, and accelerating it to a predetermined speed,corresponding to the delivery speed of the stock, and clutch meansresponsive to the reels attainment of said predetermined speed forsynchronizing the drive of the reel with the drive of said 'mill.

2. In apparatus of the class described, a revoluble reel for the coilingof stock as delivered by a rolling mill or the like, a motor independentof the drive of said mill, for starting said reel, preparatory to acoiling operation thereon, and accelerating it to a predetermined speed,corresponding to the delivery speedof the stoek, and means responsive tothe reels attainment of said predetermined speed for connecting it tothe drive of said mill, and for discontinuing its operation by saidmotor.

3. In apparatus of the class described, a revoluble reel for the coilingof stock as de livered by'a rolling mill or the like, a motorindependent of. the drive of said mill, for starting said reel,preparatory to a coiling operation thereon, and accelerating it to apredetermined speed. correspondingtothe delivery speed of the stock, andmeans responsive to the reels attainment of said predetermined speed forconnecting it to the drive of said mill, and for discontinuing thesupply of current to said motor.

4. In apparatus of the class described, a revoluble reel for the coilingof stock as delivered by a rolling mill or the like, an electric motorindependent of the drive of said mill, for starting and acceleratingsaid reel, preparatory to a coiling operation thereon, clutching meansbetween said reel and the drive of said mill, and means responsive toacceleration of said reel by said motor for operating said clutch meansto connect said reel with the drive of said mill.

5. In apparatus of the class described, a revoluble reel for the coilingof stock as delivered by a rolling mill or the like, an electric motorconnected to said reel for starting and accelerating it preparatory to acoiling operation thereon, a magnetic clutch interposed between saidreel and the drive of said mill, and means responsive to. accelerationof said reel by said electric motor for simultaneously energizing saidmagnetic clutch and deenergizing said motor.

6. The combination with means for delivering stock to be coiled, of aplurality of revoluble reels adapted for the coiling of said stock, amotor associated with each reel and operable to start and accelerate thesame while the stock is coiling on another reel, and clutch meansresponsive to a selected reels attainment of the stock speed forsynchronizing the drive of said reel with said stock-delivery means.

7. The combination with means for delivering stock to be coiled, of aplurality of revoluble reels adapted for the coiling of said stock, amotor associated with each reel and operable to start and accelerate thesame while the stock is coiling on another reel, and means responsive toa selected reels attainment of the stock speed for shifting the drive ofsaid reel from its motor to said stock-delivery means, and fordiscontinuing the supply of current to its motor.

8. The combination with means for delivering stock to be coiled, of aplurality of revoluble reels adapted for the coiling of said stock, amotor associated with each reel and operable to start and accelerate thesame while the stock is coiling on another reel, and means responsive toa selected reels attainment of the stock speed for opening the circuitof its associated motor, and shifting is drive from said motor to saidstock-delivery means.

9. The combination with means for delivering stock to be coiled, of aplurality of revoluble reels adapted for the coiling of said stock, amotor associated with each reel and operable to start and accelerate thesame while the stock is coiling on another reel, and means responsive toa selected reels attainment of the stock-delivery speed for opening thecircuit of its associated motor, and for simultaneously connecting saidselected reel to said stock-delivery means.

10. The combination with delivery means for stock to be coiled, of arevoluble reel for the coiling of such stock, an electric starting andaccelerating motor operatively connected to said reel, means responsiveto said reels acceleration by said motor for procuring the drive of saidreel by said stockdelivery means, and means responsive to said 'reelsdisconnection from said stock-delivery means, for imposing, through saidmotor, a regenerative braking effect on said reel, to quickly bring itto rest.

11. The combination with a delivery means for stock to be coiled, of arevoluble reel for coiling said stock, an electric motoroperatively'connect'ed to said reel, for starting and accelerating itwhile the stock is coiling on another reel, means for automaticallyopening the circuit of said motor when the reel attains thestock-delivery speed, means operable automatically to connect said reelto said stock-delivery means, for rotation in synchronism therewithduring the coiling operation, when said stock-delivery speed isattained, and means responsive to the disconnection of said reel fromsaid stock-delivery means, at the completion of the coiling operation,for imposing on said reel, through said motor, a regenerative brakingeffect, to bring said reel to rest.

12. The combination with delivery means for stock to be coiled, of arevoluble reel for the coiling of said stock, an electric motoroperatively connected to said reel, for starting and accelerating itwhile the stock is coiling on another reel, clutching means between saidreel and said stock-delivery means, means responsive to said reelsattainment of stock-delivery speed for operating said clutching means todrive said reel, during the coiling operation thereon, from saidstockdelivery means, and means responsive to un clutching of said reelfrom said stock-delivery means, at the completion of the coilingoperation, for imposing on said reel, through said motor, a regenerativebraking effect, to bring said reel to rest.

13. The combination with delivery means for stock to be coiled, of arevoluble reel for the coiling of said stock, an electricmotoroperatively connected to said reel for starting and accelerating itwhile the stock is coiling on another reel, a magnetic clutch interposedbetween said reel and said stock-delivery means, means responsiveto'said reels attainment of stoclodelivery speed for simul- -taneouslyenergizing said magnetic clutch and deenergizing said motor, wherebysaid reel, for the coiling operation thereon, is driven by saidstock-delivery means, and means responsive to the deenergization of saidmagnetic clutch, in disconnecting said reel from said stock-deliverymeans at the completion of the coiling operation, for imposing on saidreel, through'said motor, a regenerative braking eliect, to bring saidreel to rest.

14. The combination with delivery means for stock to be coiled, of arevoluble reel for the coiling of said stock, an electric motoroperatively connected to said reel, a control device for starting saidmotor, to accelerate said reel while the stock is coiling on anotherreel, means operable without movement of said control device from itsstarting position for shifting the drive of said reel to saidstock-delivery means and for opening the circuit of said motor, when thestock-delivery speed is attained, whereby the drive of said reel, duringthe ensuing coiling operation thereon, is maintained in synchronism withthe delivery of the stock by said stock-delivery means, and meansresponsive to move ment of said control device to an inoperativeposition for disconnecting said reel from said stock-delivery means atthe completion of said coiling operation.

15. The combination with delivery means for stock to be coiled, of arevoluble reel for the coiling of said stock, an electric motoroperatively connected to said reel, a control device for starting saidmotor, to accelerate said reel while the stock is coiling on anotherreel, means operable without movement of said control device from itsstarting position for shifting the drive of said reel to saidstock-delivery means and for opening the circuit of said motor, whenstock-delivery speed is attained, whereby the drive of said reel, duringthe ensuing coiling operation thereon, is maintained in synchronism withthe delivery of the stock by said stock-delivery means, and meansresponsive to movement of said control device to an inoperative positionfor disconnecting said reel from said stockdelivery means at thecompletion of said coiling operation, and for imposing on said reel,through said motor, a regenerative braking effect, to bring said reel torest.

16. The combination, with a delivery means for stock to becoiled, of arevoluble reel for coiling said stock and adapted to receive its drive,during a coiling operation thereon, from said stock-delivery means, adriving means for said reel, independent of said stock-delivery means,to procure its starting and acceleration while the stock is coiling onanother reel, corresponding reeldriving members receiving rotation,respectively, from said stock-delivery means and from said independentmeans, and means responsive to speed-equality of said members forshifting the drive of said reel from said independent means to saidstock-delivery means.

17. The combination, with a delivery means for stock to be'coiled, of arevoluble reel for coiling said stock and adapted to receive its drive,during a coiling operation thereon, from said stock-delivery means, anindependent driving means for said reel, unconnected with saidstock-delivery means, to procure the starting and acceleration of saidreel while the stock is coiling on another reel, a continuously-rotatingreel-driving member receiving its rotation from said stock-deliverymeans, a corresponding member in the drive of said reel by saidindependent means, and means responsive to speedequality of said membersfor shifting the drive of said reel from said independent means to saidstock-delivery means.

18. The combination, with stock-delivery means, of a plurality ofmachines adapted for operation, selectively, on said stock, a drivingmeans independent of said stock-delivery means, associated with eachmachine to start it, preparatory to a working operation thereof, andmeans responsive to acceleration of a selected machine by its startingdriving means, for shifting its drive to said stock-delivery means.

19. The combination, With stock-delivery means, of a plurality ofmachines adapted for operation, selectively, on said stock, a drivingmeans independent of said stock-delivery means, associated with eachmachine to start it, preparatory to a working operation thereof, andmeans responsive to acceleration of a selected machine by its startingdriving means, for shifting its drive to said stockdelivery means, andfor discontinuing the power supply to said starting driving means.

20. The combination, with an intermittently-Worked machine, of aconstantly-operated driving means for the actuation of said machineduring its working periods, a motor unconnected with saidconstantly-operated driving means, for starting said machine,preparatory to each working operation thereof, means responsive to saidmachines acceleration by said motor for procuring the drive of saidmachine from said constantly-operating driving means, and meansresponsive to said machines disconnection from said constantly-operatingdriving means, at the finish of a working operation, for imposing onsaid machine, through said motor, a regenerative braking effect, tobring said machine to rest.

21. The combination, with an intermittently Worked machine, of aconstantly-operating driving means for the actuation of said saiddriving means and for discontinuing its operation by said motor.

22. The combination, With an intermittently-worked machine, of aconstantly-operating driving means for the actuation of said machineduring its working periods, a motor independent of said driving meansfor starting said machine preparatory to a workmg period thereof, andfor accelerating it to a predetermined speed, corresponding to the speedof said driving means, a magnetic clutch interposed between said machineand said drivingmeans, and means responsive to said acceleration of saidmachine by said motor for simultaneously energizing said magnetic clutchand deenergizing said motor.

23. The combination, with a plurality of intermittently Worked machines,of a constantly-operating driving means for the actuation, selectively,of certain of said machines, during their working periods, a motorassociated with each machine, for startmg it, preparatory to a workingperiod thereof, and for accelerating it to a predetermined speedcorresponding to the speed of said driving means, and means responsiveto a selected machines attainment of said predetermined speed forshifting the drive of said machine from its motor to said driving means.

MYLES MORGAN.

machine during its working periods, a motor independent of said drivingmeans for starting said machine, preparatory to a working periodthereof, and for accelerating it to a I predetermined speedcorresponding to the.

speed of said driving means, and means responslve to said machinesattainment of said predetermined speed for connecting it to

